Some Dogs are Betas

Today's educational system produces a useless product.

Forty years ago the idea behind an education was to make sure everyone could do basic things - read, write, add, subtract, multiply, divide, understand simple fractions, use a library, have a basic grasp of science.  The idea, of course, was that the educational system did not know what you would do with your life: become a rocket scientist or a garbage man - it didn't matter - at least you could perform basic functions necessary for life.

In those days it was not assumed that everyone was "the same" - some were slow learners, some were less intelligent, some were fast learners, some were more intelligent.

The school system did not care about this except that they tailored the speed with which you were taught with your ability to learn.  If you learned slowly you might not get as much coverage of a subject of those who learned quickly - but you still got the basics.

The fundamental assumption was that someone with a good grasp of basic reading and math could figure out and learn on their own if they needed to: if you wanted to be a body man at an auto shop you could go to the library, find a book, take it home, read it, and, most importantly, understand it.  Most people were not expected to get a college education but to instead get a job - a job where these skills would probably be needed as well.

Standardized test where used by researchers to see how the educational system was going.  No one took them too seriously and they did not, as far as I know, have anything to do with the amount of money a school received.

The idea that not everyone is "the same" is not new. 

In the world of dogs, for example, not all dogs are alphas.  There are plenty of beta dogs as well.  (Alpha dogs are the "leaders" of the pack and dominant.  Their job is to lead the pack, mate, and generally look after things.  Betas tend to be followers and require the alphas to protect them.)

Your position in dog society depends on you.  If you are a happy beta then that's what you stay.  You can challenge other dogs and try to move up or you can move out and try and find a better life elsewhere (adapt, move on or die as it were).  Nature ensures that all dogs in the pack have a place.

Today's educational system offends nature. 

It assumes everyone is "equal in ability" and tailors the course work to the least able and slowest learners.  It does this to ensure that they do not "feel badly" about themselves.  The truth, of course, is that everyone is not equal in ability.  And while the "educational establishment" feels good about themselves for this those with less ability are not fooled.

You can see this on the "T-ball" field where no one is to "keep score".

As the game progresses each and every child assess the score, their ability, the ability of their friends and so on. 

Only a fool would think the kids are not competing and not keeping score.

Movies like "Race to Nowhere" and "Waiting for Superman" discuss the plight of today's students (see this article).  They discuss why there is educational failure and what can be done about it.

Unfortunately they do not address the truth:  Not all dogs are alphas and not every child is the smartest kid on the block.

However, rather than focusing on teaching each child as much as they are able to learn and helping the child to assess what are good choices in life based on their own, personal ability today's educational system tells each child that, like the T-ball field I mentioned, that everyone is "the same".

None are smarter, none are less smart.  It teaches its better to hold back the more able so the less able feel good - yet the less able see this and in my estimation understand the basic unfairness of.

In the real world there are always people more and less able than you. 

That is a simple given.

Its what you do about it that matters.  If you sit home waiting for lawyers, schools or governments to "fix" this problem your wait will be long because no one but you can make more out of you than there is now.  And meanwhile those who realize that doing the best they can with what they are given will be moving ahead - ahead without the benefit of those who expect others to make the playing field level for them.

In today's society the former group (the sit at home and waits) are growing rapidly - the growth fueled by government hand outs, bogus educational models and the like.  And why not, since by definition there is always "someone smarter than you" you can always feel your life is unfair - particularly when things like schools and society pound this into your head.

The "do the best they can" group, on the other hand, is burdened with supporting both themselves and the growing group of those waiting for a "fix".

According to the linked WSJ article leaders in education reform think like this (Jeanne Allen who heads the Center for Education Reform in Washington DC):  "You can't teach critical thinking," she says. She argues that kids cannot possibly develop problem-solving skills without a base of knowledge. How can one analyze a piece of literature, she asks, without knowing any vocabulary? Can students solve math problems without being able to multiply and divide?"

This is complete insanity. 

Anyone who owns more than two pets realizes that pets can discern whether one is receiving more treats than the other - without even the ability to count, much less multiply and divide.

The problem is very, very simple.

Instead of making sure each child can read, write, add, subtract, and so on to the best of that child's ability the educational system makes sure that each child is shoe-horned into an "equality box" where their individual abilities are second to the educators belief that everyone is must be "equal" (see "Teaching Your Child" which I wrote about five years ago).

For example, arguing whether "rote memorization" is better than "critical thinking".  Of course both are important and some will be better with or the other.  But even dogs can "think critically" when they need to - perhaps to find an extra treat.

And dogs are smart enough to discern the differences between those with more and less ability, to discern the differences between and alpha and beta, to discern that males and females are in fact different, and to see that all pack members contribute as best they can.

Why have we and our society lost this ability?

I went to a grade school taught by nuns.  They divided the children up into groups based on their ability to learn and made sure (with physical punishment to back it up) the children gave it their best shot.  At the same time those more able were not allowed to ridicule or make fun of those with lesser ability.

Nuns knew their lives would be judged by how they treated their students and felt it was their God-given responsibility to turn out the children with the best education possible.

Even the least able were taught as much as they could be.

Today's educational system is primarily the business of teachers unions.  A business where the quality of the product cannot be objectively judged lest the result be an "unfair" work environment.  (Notice that the actual business of learning does not come into play here.)

(And to be fair, society's concept that every child is a genius is partially to blame as well.  Many parents do not stand behind teachers and instead demand their child be treated specially.)

In my time nuns viewed providing an education to everyone as a life long avocation - one in which you literal went to hell if you betrayed its sacred trust to do all you could for your charges.

It looks like we're already there.